In a signed letter issued on Wednesday, 18 members of Congress have called on President Barack Obama to reclassify marijuana, a drug currently listed in the same category as heroin and LSD.

Authored by Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.),
the letter comes after President Obama’s comments to the New
Yorker in January, in which he stated his belief that marijuana
is not any more dangerous than drinking alcohol or smoking
cigarettes.

Under the 1970 Controlled Substances Act, the Drug Enforcement
Administration classifies marijuana as a “Schedule I” substance.
This is the harshest classification available for illegal
substances, placing cannabis in a stricter category than drugs
like cocaine. Schedule I substances are believed to have "no
currently accepted medical use and a high potential for
abuse."

"You said that you don't believe marijuana is any more
dangerous than alcohol: a fully legalized substance, and believe
it to be less dangerous 'in terms of its impact on the individual
consumer,'” the letter reads. "This is true. Marijuana,
however, remains listed in the federal Controlled Substances Act
at Schedule I ... This is a higher listing than cocaine and
methamphetamine, Schedule II substances that you gave as examples
of harder drugs. This makes no sense."

Pointing to the high number of people incarcerated for possessing
marijuana, the congressman urged Obama have Attorney General Eric
Holder either delist the drug or remove it from Schedule I or II
classification.

"We believe the current system wastes resources and destroys
lives, in turn damaging families and communities," the
letter states. "Taking action on this issue is long
overdue."

As noted by US News and World Report, the 1970 law permits the
attorney general to "remove any drug or other substance from the
schedules if he finds that the drug or other substance does not
meet the requirements for inclusion in any schedule."

Speaking with CNN’s Jake Tapper, however, Obama seemed to rule
out unilateral action by the administration.

"What is and isn't a Schedule I narcotic is a job for
Congress," Obama said during the interview. "It's not
something by ourselves that we start changing. No, there are laws
under – undergirding those determinations."

This explanation did not satisfy Blumenauer, who issued a
separate statement on Wednesday saying the White House could act
on its own if it wants.

"The Administration needs recognize the relative dangers of
these drugs if it wants to restore its credibility,"
Blumenauer told the Huffington Post. "The first step is to
reschedule marijuana, which the Administration can do
unilaterally. We can't let this arbitrary and incorrect
bureaucratic classification ruin any more lives."

So far, Colorado and Washington are the only two states to have
legalized the recreational use of marijuana, though numerous
others have voted to allow it for medical purposes. As RT
reported last month, multiple states will be taking up ballot
initiatives on pot legalization during elections in 2014 and
2016.